Lust Of The Eyes

17Aug

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever -1 Jn. 2:15-17.

Lust of the eyes is the desire to possess what we see or to have those things which have visual appeal. It is also referred to as coveting money and other possessions belonging to other people. God commanded His people against this in Exodus 20:17 -Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house…nor anything that is thy neighbour’s. Part of the reason Eve listened to the serpent in the Garden of Eden was that she looked at the forbidden fruit and saw that it was “pleasing to the eye” -Gen. 3:6. Satan used a visual image to help entrap her. He used a similar tactic on Jesus. One of His temptations in the wilderness was an attempt to make Him covet earthly power. He ”showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor”-Matt. 4:8. He then promised to give them to Jesus- for a price. Of course, Jesus did not succumb to the lust of the eyes and Satan was defeated -Matt. 4:10,11.

The world is full of ”eye candy” glamor and gaudiness. Materialism beckons with its promise of happiness and fulfillment. All that glitters is not gold, and the child of God knows that fame, fortune and finery quickly fade-Pro. 23:5. Our goal is not to keep up with the Joneses or to sorround ourselves with the trappings of a glittering magnificence. Our goal is to ”know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings” -Phil. 3:10. Our eyes are to be set on Jesus- Heb. 12:2. Our view must always be to eternity.

Mrs. Cecil Alexander gave the becauidul rendation
Jesus calls us from the worship,
Of the vain world’s golden store;
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, ”Christian, love me more”.